Assigxoi



(No Model.)

' J. W. DYER.

LIGHTNING ARRBSTBR.

Patented Deo. 4, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ottica.

JOSIAH NV. DYER, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T O THE AUTOMATIC CURRENT PROTECTOR AND ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,629, dated December 4, 1883.

Application filed February 2, 1883. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern Be it known that I, Josmn W. Dran, of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Lightning-Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to lightning-arresters adapted for use on telegraph or telephone lines; and it consists in combining automatic mechanism to ground the line circuit or circuits upon their becoming overcharged with electricity from lightning or dynamoelectric machines with mechanism to auto'- matically reinsulate said wires from the ground upon the excessive charge being grounded, and devices by which said line circuit or circuits remain grounded so long as said circuits remain continuously overcharged with electricity, but are reinsulated the moment the surcharge of electricity has disappeared, further, in forming the grounding-contacts of carbon, whereby they are not so apt to fuse and form irregular surfaces or points which penetrate the tissue-paper used as the insulating medium, and ground the line-circuits unintentionally, and in many details of construction, all of which are more fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure I is a plan view of my improved lightning-arrester. Eig. 2 is a sectional elevation of same on line Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the escapement device. Fig. i is a plan view of same, and Fig. 5 is an elevation of same.

A is the baseplate.

B is the clock-work.

C is the drive-shaft, and carries one or more carbon or metal rollers, D, which are secured thereto. Resting upon these rollers D are one or more'rollers, F, of carbon or metal, preferably of the former. These rollers F are insulated from each other, and have their axes f loosely journaled in U-plates G, which are made fast to the hard-rubber support H, secured to the base-plate A, or they may be secured to a metal bar, from which they would be insulated.

I is another bar, preferably of hard rubber or insulating material, and to which are se cured the contact-brushes J, which rest upon the rollers VE, and are connected to the binding-posts K, which receive the line-wires.

N is a loose roller, upon which the insulating material O (as, for instance, paper) is wound, and from which it passes between the contact-rollers E D to the cylinder M, which is driven by gearing L L from shaft C. The rotation of shaft C is controlled by the escapement-wheel l?, which is provided with a bent pin, p, having ledges p and p2, the latter of which is slightly to the rear of the former, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the said ledges being separated by Aa space, p", sufficiently large to allow the free passage of the arm Q of the armature R, which is kept away from the magnet S by spring a', and whose movement may be regulated by a set-screw, R. The magnet S is in circuit with the rollers D, and connects with the ground by binding-post Z.

T is a resistance-coil, also in circuit with rollers D and binding-post V, and is used to prevent too strong a current passing through the magnet S, and thus perform the functions of a safety-valve for the escape of part of the current of high intensity.

The ends C and M of shaft C and roller or cylinder M are made square to enable additional sections to be coupled on, so as to utilize the single motive power and escapement devices for any number of line-wires, and the outer support or bracket, E, is provided with flanges e c, fora continuation of plates or bars I H, and also a bearing for the end of thenext section of roller N.

M2 represents the addition of a cylinder on the end of roller M.

In place of making the ends M C square, they may be made conical or in any other way so long as they hold fast to the additional roller and shaft added. Each line-wire is clamped by a single binding-post, so that its circuit is never broken; or, if desired, the plates G may be provided with binding-posts K', and then the current will pass from post K through brush J, roller F, plate G, to blnding-post K', back to line.

The operation is as follows: If one or more of the line-wires become overcharged IOO with electricity, it passes to rollers Fand burns capement to control said movement of the inthe insulating-paper O, thus escaping through rollers D, shaft 0, through magnet S and resistance-coil T, to ground. If this current is only momentary, the armature B is attracted only for an instant, and the arm Q slides off part p and passes through space p3, and allows One revolution of the escapement-wheel l?, which is just sufcient to reinsulate all of the contacts F D from each other, and thereby reinsulate the line-circuits by causing a fresh part of the paper O to pass between rollers F D. Now, however, should the overcharge of electricity be continuous for any length 'of time, as by contact of the line-wires with an electric-light wire, the armature would be attracted and remain up to the magnet, in which case the' arm Q would free the ledge p', but would immediately catch on ledge 192, thus preventing the rotation of the escapementwheel P, and thereby insuring 'the line-wires -being continuously grounded until they return to their normal electrical condition, when,

upon freeing the armature, the arm Q slips oft` ledge p2, passes through space p3, allows a revolution of escapement-wheel P, and then 'arrests the said wheel by catching upon the ledge p',- but in this revolution of the wheel P all ofthe line-wires are once more insulated from the ground. From the foregoing it is I seenthat there is no waste of the paper O,

combined withv automatic which would be the case if the outer ledge p2 were not used, and as set forth 'in another pending application of mine iiled October l2,

v1882, and bearing serial number 74,073.

I do not limit myself to the construction shown for limiting the movement of the escapement-wheel should line-circuits remain overcharged, as my invention comprehends, broadly, mechanism to accomplish this result in a machine of this description.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a lightning-arrester, the line-circuits mechanism to ground said circuits upon their becoming overcharged with electricity, automatic mechanism to reinsulate said line-circuits immediately after the excess of electricity has been discharged, an escapement to control said re,-

insulating mechanism, and means actuated by the escaping electricity to free the escapement should the passage of electricity be only momentary, but to arrest all movement to the escapement if the passage of electricity be continuous, and until said passage has ceased, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a lightning-arrester, two contact-rollers, one of which is in circuit with the ground and the other with the line-circuits, in combi-- nation with an insulating medium interposed between said rollers, means to move said insulating medium between said rollers, an esv momentary, but to arrest all movement of the escapement if the passage of electricity be continuous and until said passage has ceased, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a lightning-arrester, two contact-rollers, one of which is in circuit with the ground and the other with the line-circuits, in combibination with an linsulating medium interposed between said rollers, means to move said insulating medium between said rollers, an escapement to control said movement of the insulating medium, provided with ledges p p2 and space p3, armature B, having arm Q, and magnet S, substantially as and Vfor the purpose specilied.

4. In a lightning-arrester, two contact-rollers, one of which is in circuit with the ground and the other with the line-circuits, in combination with an insulating medium interposed between said rollers, means to move said insulating medium between said rollers, an escapement to control said movement of the insulating medium, provided with ledges p p2 and space p3, armature B, having arm Q, magnet S, and resistance-coil T, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of clock-work B, shaft C, rollers D and F, brushes J, binding-posts K, rollers M and N, and insulating medium O, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of clock-work B, shaft C, rollers D and F, brushes J, support I, binding-posts K, rollers M and N, gears L L, escapement P, having ledges p p2, armature B, having arm Q, and magnet S, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of clock-work B, shaft C, rollers D and F, brushes J, binding-posts K, rollers M and N, and insulating medium O, plates G, and binding-posts K, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

8. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of clock-work B, shaft C, rollers D and F, brushes J, binding-posts K, rollers M land N, and insulating medium O, the ends of shaft G and roller M being provided with means to secure additional sections thereto, to enable one motor to suffice for any number of line-circuits, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of clock-work B, shaft C, rollers D and F, brushes J, support I, binding-posts K, rollers M and N, gears L L', escapement P, having ledges p p2, armature B, having arm Q, magnet S, and resistance-coil T, substantially asl and for the purpose specified.

IOO

IIO

10. In a lightning-arrester, two carbon eonl In testimony of which invention I hereunto tuets, in combination with an insulating` meset my hand. dium interposed between said contacts, and means to press the earbons together upon the JOSIAII KV. DIER.

5 fusion or burning of said insulating medium,

one of said eurbons being in circuit with the Witnesses: line-wire and the other with the ground7 sub- R. M. HUNTER7 stantiaily as and for the purpose specified. It. S. CHILD, Jr. 

